Hot new culture blog/clothing design house, +FreshiAm+, is hitting fashion directly on the head. The brand has captured the attention of rappers Theophilus London and A$AP Rocky with their unique limited-edition snapback hats. In fact, the brand has collaborated with London, who is rarely seen without the hats that are quickly becoming his trademark – the LVRS hat he sports retailed for $50 and quickly sold out.
Launched in 2008 by Nigerian-born, American-raised visual and graphic artist, Tunde, +FreshiAm+ started out as a culture blog and graphic design business. “I wanted to integrate music, art, fashion, everything. In culture everything should be as important as the other, there really is no separation,” says Tunde.
The designer notes that his focus quickly changed: “Fashion is the best business model for a visual artist who wants to create things for a lot people.” Starting with a line of one-of-a-kind T-shirts in 2009, +FreshiAm+ quickly grew in popularity, and in 2010, Tunde designed the hats that would take them from his little apartment in Atlanta to being an internationally recognizable symbol of cool culture.
“With the State of Mind hats, I wanted to move up from the sportiness of the snapback,” Tunde explains. “I didn’t understand how if I wanted to wear a hat, it had to have a team on it. I wanted to create something classic.”
There are 10 State of Mind hats each embroidered with one word – to be interpreted at will. Nine of the hats are always available; the 10th is currently the Le Alphabet Soup hat, of which only 50 were produced. Le Alphabet Soup is a collaboration with fashion phenoms, Dee and Ricky. The hat, with an assortment of 11-12 characters, made from bamboo fleece, and randomly ordered on a black snapback, retails for $120. Only 50 of the hats will made available worldwide.
The newest collaboration with Dee and Ricky is a major win for Tunde and +FreshiAm+. After all, Dee and Ricky, identical twins (in a set of triplets), are barely over drinking age, and are the designers who created the Lego Heart pin that Kanye wore in support of 808’s and Heartbreaks. If that’s not enough, Dee and Ricky are also working with Marc Jacobs and Pharrell. Their work has been worn by models and celebrities in every major fashion magazine including Vogue.
So, what’s next for +FreshiAm+? Tunde’s full fashion collection, LOVE is available on the site. The collection includes unique t-shirts, tanks, pendants, and tote bags. But, you better buy soon, because the entire +FreshiAm+ collection usually sells out.
The State of Mind hats and LOVE are available at www.freshiam.net. Follow them on Twitter (@freshiamatl).